This year, April 25^th, 2021, the Oscars will be happening and people couldn’t be more excited. With all the chaos going on, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, have all stepped up and told stories like never before. The competition is fierce for best picture, best director, best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best original screenplay, best adapted screenplay, best animated feature, best production design, best cinematography, best costume design, best film editing, best makeup and hairstylist, best sound, best visual effects, best original score, best original song, best documentary feature, best international feature, best animated short film, best documentary short film, and best live-action short.

What movies will be nominated? What movies will win? Well I’m here to break down my thoughts on the matter.

Starting at best picture for the nominations we have, “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Mank,” “Minari,” “Nomadland,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” These are all amazing films and well made, but only one can win. My prediction on who will win the best picture Oscar is “Nomadland,” this film had a great story and dialogue. Also, the cinematography and the way the movement is was very well executed.

I interviewed Walker Brewer, a lifelong movie fan and avid Oscar enthusiast, on this opinion for how he feels about the Oscars. “This year was a good year for original films and gave great opportunity to tell now stories, it gave a chance to share and send messages to make people more aware,” he said.

Next off we have best director for these nominations we have Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari.” Emerald Fennel, “Promising Young Woman.” David Fincher, “Mank.” Chloe Zhao, “Nomandland.” And Thomas Vinterberg, “Another Round.” All of these talented directors directed great films, from black and white to extreme color, from deserts to waterfalls, from drama to comedy. These directors captured it all, but the one who i think will take the award will be Chloe Zhao, for her amazing directing of “Nomadland.” Her directing skills and writing of this amazing film captured so much and expressed the story of a nomad.

Now on to an award many people look forward to the most: best actor . For these nominees we have Riz Ahmed for his performance in “Sound of Metal,” we also have Chadwick Boseman, may he rest in peace, with his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Anthony Hopkins for his performance in “The Father,” the first Asain American to be nominated for best actor Steven Yeun for his performance in “Minari,” and last but not least Gary Oldman for his performance in “Mank.” Now this was a really hard decision for me to make on who might win, many of these actors deserve this award but I think the one that will  have the glory to win is Chadwick Boseman with his amazing performance as a jazz player struggling being an African American in the time he lives telling stories of the ways he’s been  hurt.

Next up we have best actress, another very popular award. The nominees for best actress are Viola Davis, for her performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” next we have Andra Day, for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” then we have Vanessa Kirby, in “Pieces of a Woman,” we also have Frances McDormand for her performance in “Nomadland,” and finally we have Carey Mulligan, in “Promising Young Woman.” This is another hard choice for all these woman were wonderful in there performances but one stood out to me a little more than the rest and that is Carey Mulligan for “Promising Young Woman” for her role as Cassie out to get vengeance really popped out.

Now we have best supporting actor, a role that I find to be one of the most important roles in a movie. For the nominees for this one we have  Saca Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7. “Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Leslie Odom Jr. “One Night in Miami.” Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal,” and lastly Lakeith Standfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Out of all the categories this  one made me do the most thinking for the talent in this group was phenomenal but only one can win and the one to me will be Lakeith Standfield for his role in “Judas and the Black Messiah” as he played William O’Neal a man pretending to be a black panther, working for the FBI.

We also have best supporting actress which is just as important as best supporting actor. Now for these nominees we have Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy,” Olivia Colman, “The Father,” Amanda Seyfried, “Mank,” and lastly Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari.” Another hard choice to make but the person I think the Oscar goes to is Olivia Colman for her performance as  Anne in “The Father.”

Original Screenplay is our next category. This section to me is very special because it takes a lot of talent and creativity to come up with a story the way these films are made. The nominees for original screenplay are, “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Minari,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal,” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” All of these Original Screenplays were terrific but again only one can win and that winner to me will be, “Sound of Metal,” this movie was so detailed and welly scripted with a young drummer going deaf and moving to a deaf home.

Who doesn’t love a good animated film, these movies get to every age group and are always fun to watch. For this category we have best Animated feature, the nominees for these are “Onward,” “Over the Moon,” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” “Soul,” and “Wolfwalkers.” These films were all amazing but one really stands out and thats “Soul,” it captures the art of music and being lost and sends such a great message. So my prediction for the Oscar winner is “Soul.”

This next subject takes a lot of artistry and vision and that subject is Cinematography. Cinematography is one of my favorite parts of a movie it can really capture the emotion of a film and makes you see something in a whole  new way. For the nominees we have Sean Bobbitt, Judas and the Black Messiah,” Erik Messerschmidt, “Mank,” Darius Wolski, “News of the World,” Joshua James Richards, “Nomadland,” and finally Phedon Papamicheal, “The Trial of the Chicago  7.” All of these films capture such great pictures and moments but one really stood out and so for the winner of this one i think will be Joshua James Richards, for “Nomadland.”

The last topic i wanted to talk, and predict is sound. Sound is a very important part to a movie, what viewers hear from little foot steps to loud bangs are all so important. So for the nominees for this one we have, “Greyhound,” “Mank,” “News of the World,” “Soul,” and lastly “Sound of Metal.” These movies all capture such great sound but one really stands out over all, “Sound of Metal.” it captures all sorts of sounds and really made me hear and feel what it feels to be deaf. So “Sound of Metal” is my prediction for this subject.

To finish off I interviewed a student who attends Jamestown high school, Corey Aleksa, about his feelings on the Oscars and his thoughts on the films. Corey had a lot of good things to say. “This year has brought a lot of chaos and has brought a lot of people apart and a lot of people together, these films have really expressed that and told stories that were very needed in the times we live in. Films can really express a lot and help get messages out there and the people who were able to tell these stories in whatever way they did whether it be acting, directing, sound, or cinematography this year for the Oscars they have brought great talent and I’m really looking forward to see the outcome.”